1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for verification of identity aboard an aircraft and more particularly aboard an aircraft cockpit.
2. Discussion of Background
Following the events that occurred on Sep. 11, 2001 in New York, resulting in many human losses and linked to the takeover of an aircraft in flight by unauthorized individuals, it first of all was a question of reinforcing the access to the cockpit by installing doors sturdier than those used until then, in particular by means of antiballistic materials. This structural reinforcement was combined with systems for control of access so that only certain authorized individuals could deactivate the locking system for the door.
Nonetheless, even though this combination of means leaves only few opportunities for an unauthorized individual to pass beyond this door, as soon as an authorized individual has deactivated the locking system, for a period of a few seconds access to the cockpit is identical to the access prior to installation of these means. Now, the system is regularly deactivated during commercial aircraft flights, for example, to provide food to the crew piloting the aircraft or in order that said crew may rest.
On the basis of this finding, new systems have been developed to identify whether an authorized individual was at the controls of the aircraft. This approach is in fact complementary to the initial means for restricting access to the cockpit and addresses the problem remaining, once an unauthorized individual has succeeded in passing beyond the secured door.
These new identification systems make use of biometric authentication systems at the flight controls of the aircraft. Biometric authentication is advantageous in relation to the problem to be solved, since a simple means of identification, of the badge or magnetic card type, could be stolen by an ill-intentioned individual.
For example, the document US2003067379 discloses a system of biometric authentication to restrict the piloting of an aircraft combining biometric sensors arranged on the flight controls of an aircraft, discerning fingerprints, means for verifying whether the results of the biometric control correspond to the stored biometric data of an authorized individual, and means for communicating the results of the correspondence to the interior or exterior of the aircraft. This system therefore can be combined advantageously with a security system based solely on restriction of access to the cockpit.
It still has disadvantages, however, as for example in the case in which biometric authentication might be performed under duress, if an unauthorized individual by one means or another obtained the biometric data of an authorized individual.